Gerald and Phoebe
by Flintphone
Summary: Gradually, Gerald and Phoebe have begun to spend more time together. How will Arnold and Helga react to this? How will this affect their friendships?
1. Freshly Sharpened Pencils

_**Edited: 7/29/2012**_

_**Author Notes:**_

_**Hi,**_

_**Gerald and Phoebe was an idea that was swarming in my head recently. Surprisingly, this idea kept nagging me, literally and I felt that I should write it. Usually, I have many ideas but I rarely execute them.**_

_**This is my first Hey Arnold story. To be honest, it's pretty much my first story ever. I seldom write, which may be visible in my work.**_

_**This idea came when I thought of possible scenarios for Season 6. I thought, "How would Arnold and Helga deal with Gerald and Phoebe spending more time together?" This idea isn't new, I believe. One can go many different ways with it, though. My interpretation of this may seem out of character however, I'm just glad to write. Other brilliant writers could turn this into a masterpiece, I suppose. But, for right now, this mediocre piece of work should suffice.**_

_**Flintphone**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not or will ever own Hey Arnold! It is owned by Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon©.**_

* * *

**Gerald and Phoebe**

**By: Flintphone**

**Chapter 1: Freshly Sharpened Pencils**

"Oh, Criminy...where's that stupid math homework!" Helga exclaimed while she rummaged through her locker. After searching for this paper for over a minute, her patience had already grown thin. Their teacher, Mr. Simmons always worked on math after recess and now the end bell was about to ring. The girl released a growl as she continued her search, hating that she needed the worksheet to bring up her grade.

It had been just last week that Big Bob had opened up one of her progress reports. Most of the time, Helga could get to the mail before her father and especially her mother, since she would be either sleeping or too out of it to care. But on that day, Bob had conveniently come home early from work and decided to open it out of mere curiosity. And there printed in clear type was a C in math.

For the girl, the mark really wasn't a big deal; it wasn't her report card so, it was clearly temporary. But to her father, it was a very big deal. Which thus lead, to Helga's misery, to Bob lecturing her on how she should be more like her sister. _"Olga this and Olga that,"_ Helga had mocked as she endured his ramblings. _"When will they stop comparing me to her?"_ To top it all off, Big Bob wouldn't finish without demanding that she raise her grade up to an A.

So here she was, currently digging through her locker for that sheet. She resolved to work on getting her grade up, if only to keep her father quiet; she couldn't stand another of his "Olga's perfect" speeches.

"Hi Helga. Did you find what you needed?"

"What!" shrieked Helga, startled from her thoughts before turning around. "Oh Pheebs, don't scare me like that."

"Sorry Helga," Phoebe stated apologetically.

"Whatever. Anyway, I've been searching for that ridiculous math worksheet for like hours. I've looked everywhere!" Helga declared as she pointed at her now messy locker.

"I believe that you slipped your worksheet into your English textbook. You must have been distracted. I saw you slip it in there this morning before the bell rang."

"Oh yeah," Helga recalled slowly, remembering the incident that happened that very morning as she let out a chuckle. "I had to watch that freak Curly tie himself to the flag pole outside. I bet Wartz is gonna give him at least a week in detention."

Returning to the original task at hand, she turned back to her locker, quickly finding her green English textbook. Once she opened the text up, she spotted the paper right between the front cover and the first page. _"How could I have missed that?"_ she considered. _"I thought I looked everywhere for this. Phoebe certainly doesn't miss a thing...does she?" _

"Thanks Pheebs..." she muttered out, remembering that a thank you was in order.

"No problem, Helga..." her friend stated with a smile.

The blonde grabbed a few of her other needed school materials from her locker before she felt a sudden urge come over her. With a quick gaze of her watch, she made her decision, realizing that there was four minutes left before the bell. "Uh, here Phoebe, take my books to my desk while I use the bathroom," she said as she shoved books in her friend's arms. "And sharpen these pencils before I get back," Helga commanded, adding to the load. "If I'm late, just come up with an excuse."

Before Phoebe could utter a reply, Helga was already off down the hallway, soon turning a corner. It was then that Phoebe was able to examine the large stack within her arms. She was carrying four books, including a stack of rubber banded pencils that somehow balanced on top.

She reasoned that if she could only adjust her hands underneath all the books, she could manage carrying them. But as soon as she tried to do this, the stack of pencils rolled off the top and fell to the floor. "Oh," Phoebe sighed as she placed the books on the floor, trying to figure out how she could better arrange the writing utensils.

Yet, as she was thinking of a solution, a boy with the familiar stack of hair looked on, deciding that he would offer her some assistance. Nervously, he walked up to her before he voiced, "Hey Phoebe, do you need some help?"

"Oh Gerald," the girl said, startled. "I didn't see you there."

"Sorry. So, do you need any help carrying those books?"

Phoebe, at first thought of declining the service but when she remembered her load she realized that she did need help...and it did help that her companion would be good company. "Well..." she replied, "If you could just carry a few of these into the classroom, I would truly appreciate it."

"Sure, no sweat babe," the boy coolly retorted.

* * *

Before long, Helga reached her classroom's doorway and peered inside. _"Good,"_ she thought, _"Simmons isn't here yet. I'm not late."_

As she made her way to her desk, she passed a couple of her classmates: Rhonda brushing her hair, Harold eating perhaps his fifth sandwich today and Nadine observing her friend, the beetle.

Once Helga finally reached her desk, she noticed her books there and her stack of pencils, as she requested. But, as she examined her pencils more closely, she realized they were the same as before. _"Where is Phoebe? I told her to sharpen my pencils,"_ the girl asked herself.

Quickly turning to gaze at the seat next to her, she found Phoebe's usual seat lay empty. Her eyes scanned around the classroom until they landed on two figures in the back of the room. _"Oh there she is, chatting away with Tall-Hair boy,"_ Helga observed as she sat down in her seat.

She had seen them talk several times before but, never as engrossed as they seemed to be now. In the past, she would observe the shy glances they would give each other, understanding exactly what these glances meant. But she never gave any further thought to them, since she was often preoccupied by her Football Headed love.

Phoebe, after saying goodbye to Gerald, spotted Helga, quickly walking over to her. "Hey Helga, I see you're back early. I've been...talking with Gerald," she stated slowly as she sat down in her seat.

"Yeah, I saw..." Helga breathed out, clearly sounding uninterested.

"He offered to carry some of our books since my load was becoming somewhat cumbersome. Then he told me..."

"Pheebs..." her friend interrupted. "I'm not really interested in what Gerald has to say, so could you spare me, please." Truly, she didn't mean to sound rude but the subject of Gerald was not one of her favorites. "Anyway, did you forget to do something?" she questioned, trying to change the subject.

Phoebe's face now wore confusion. "No Helga...I don't think so." The girl couldn't possibly think of anything that she could have forgotten.

Helga sighed, rising out of her seat. "Never mind, Pheebs," she grumbled as she grabbed the pencils and walked to the pencil sharper.

As she grounded one lead after another, she couldn't help but turn her head to gaze at Phoebe, who was now reading a book. _"Hmm,"_ she pondered. _"Phoebe never forgets. I hope Geraldo isn't rubbing off on her."_ She let out a sarcastic chuckle, _"Just what we need...another Geraldo."_

Just then, Mr. Simmons quickly walked in, "Good afternoon, class. Sorry I'm late but I was having a delightful talk with one of our school's special teachers and we got carried away." With a plop, he sat down some papers on his desk. "Now why don't we get started? Harold...put that sandwich away; it's not lunch time anymore."

"But I'm still hungry!"

* * *

RING!

_"Finally,"_ Helga thought. _"School for today is over."_ She quickly grabbed her books and pencils before making her way out of the door. Roughly, she pushed her way down the hallway until she turned a corner and found Phoebe standing next to the water fountain. The sight of her friend only helped her return to her previous thoughts.

Earlier that afternoon during math, Helga's mind wasn't on the lesson plan or even her Beloved. She was beginning to worry over the day's events. She'd even caught Phoebe giggling to herself, if only for a few seconds.

_"Why in the world am I worried?"_ she asked herself. _"So she forgot to sharpen my pencils. What's the big deal?"_ The girl tried to relax but, she still felt unsettled.

_"Phoebe has been acting a little bizarre, though. I mean giggling at nothing? It's probably all Tall hair boy's doing."_

Curiously, her eyes shifted over to her best friend. Phoebe was diligently taking notes as usual. Helga narrowed her eyes, trying to study her subject more. If she was to be perfectly honest, the blonde couldn't easily read or understand Phoebe's actions most of the time. This realization only made her worry increase. What didn't she know about Phoebe?

_"Maybe they're already starting a relationship and dating and stuff? What am I suppose to do, then? What if they spend all their time together and Phoebe has no time for me?"_ She shook her head at the idea before a sudden, more pleasant thought came to her. _"They've been exchanging glances since forever. Why would they act on it now? I bet they're still too shy to start something, anyway."_

The girl released a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. She silently chuckled in relief, _"Criminy, why must I always overreact? Here I was worrying about them spending time together and me losing Phoebe in the process...when nothing's happened."_

However, the worry still lingered within Helga, even after the bell rang...yet she was still determined to push it aside. She couldn't believe she still had this feeling especially after she rationalized her previous conclusions. _"I guess I'm just going to have to prove it to myself that nothing has changed. Phoebe and I have the same relationship that we've always had and nothing's going to change that."_

"Hey Pheebs," Helga stated determinedly as she reached the water fountain. "I was thinking that we could walk home together and you can help me with something I'm working on. I just need a list...maybe four to six pages on..."

"Helga," Phoebe spoke, suddenly interrupting her. "I can't walk home with you today."

Helga's face was filled with surprise. _"Did she just interrupt me?"_ She stared at her friend for a few seconds before she registered what she had said. "Why Pheebs?" she asked while she tried to take the surprise and disappointment off her face.

"I was trying to tell you before, Helga. Gerald offered to walk me home and I said yes. I'm sorry," she finished slowly.

The worry inside Helga increase threefold, however, with effort she pushed it aside again. "Don't be...just go walk with Geraldo. I'm good," she uttered quickly, noticing the hint of sadness in her own voice.

However, this sadness came unnoticed to Phoebe. "Thanks Helga, I'll see you tomorrow," the dark-haired girl cried before turning around and walking away to meet up with Gerald near the door.

Huffing out a sigh, Helga walked over to her locker, setting her books and the pencils down on the floor. Putting in her locker combination, she flung the door open. _"Helga, old girl, you are overacting again! They can go on a million walks; it doesn't mean that you're losing her. Phoebe is my best friend and will always be,"_ she mused as she took a textbook out of her locker and closed it. She reached down to collect her other things.

Now determined to rid herself of this feeling once and for all, she marched down the hall; books in her left hand and the stack of pencils in the other. "Nothing is going on," she cried out confidently, "I am not losing her." However, her nerves were saying the opposite. Soon, she began to tense up and subconsciously started clenching onto the sharpened side of the pencils in her hand. "Nothing is going to change...Oww!" She exclaimed, having just pricked her fingers. Helga growled and violently threw the items in the nearest trash can. "Stupid pencils!" she barked out as she stomped out of the main doors.

* * *

_**Author's Endnotes:**_

_**Helga may be overacting a bit. But, hasn't she overacted a few times before? I hope you enjoyed it, I enjoyed writing it. If you find mistakes, you can inform me. I may go back and edit it again.**_

_**The second chapter could be written in a week, a month, a year; I'm not really sure. Well, maybe not a year, but I'm not certain. I have been considering writing another story, but that one takes more time and planning. The next chapter will have Arnold and Gerald added in the mix.**_

_**Next - Chapter 2: A Spoonful of Tapioca Pudding**_


	2. A Spoonful of Tapioca Pudding

_**Edited: 8/2/2012**_

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Bonjour,**_

_**First, I would like to thank everyone that read the first chapter. I really appreciated the reviews. **_

_**This chapter is a little different from the last. There is more dialogue here. Also, Arnold and Gerald are more incorporated into it; may I do them justice. **_

_**Now on with Chapter 2; "Curtains please."**_

_**Flintphone**_

_**Disclaimer: Do I even have to write that I don't own Hey Arnold? I think the whole world knows that.**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Spoonful of Tapioca Pudding**

The very next morning, Helga shuffled herself up the school main flight of stairs and slowly made her way through its crowded hallways. She was certainly glad that today was Friday. Over the week, the constant daily lectures and rigorous routines had taken its toll on her nerves...not to mention her recent worry over Phoebe.

As she reached her classroom door, the girl resolved to start the day afresh. With that in mind, she marched into the room, weaving her way over to her desk before she sat down. She turned and greeted Phoebe on her left, deciding to start with a pleasant greeting, "Hey Pheebs, how're you doing?"

"Oh, hi Helga. I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm alright," was her response, even though she was truthfully feeling rather anxious and slightly annoyed.

Yesterday, when Helga had left school, she was still bothered by what had happened earlier that day. Once she reached her house, she ate a quick snack and then went right to her room…hoping for some peace and quiet so she could clear her mind. However, her tranquility was soon interrupted by the loud blaring of Bob's television.

"Argh, just perfect," she'd muttered out sarcastically to herself. With a sigh, she decided to walk to the pier._ "Maybe there I can actually get some peace,"_ the young girl had thought but, on her way to the front door, she had been stopped by Bob's booming voice beckoning her.

Currently, Helga felt the sudden need to vent out what had happened yesterday…including her fear of losing Phoebe. She glanced at the very girl beside her, the desire to tell her best friend growing. _"I don't have to tell her everything,"_ she reasoned in her head. _"She doesn't need to know about my petty fears; I can just tell her about Bob."_

Issuing out a sigh, she decided to tell her story. "Big Bob lost the TV remote again and then demanded that I find it. Can you believe that?"

"Yeah…"

"I was about to leave out the door when he started yelling at me to come into the living room. He wouldn't let me leave 'til I found it. I mean, criminy, he's the one who lost it, not me! He had me searching everywhere for over a half an hour until he found it in his pant's packet. Then it was too late for me to go outside," she exclaimed while fiddling with one of her book covers.

"After that, he told me to get him a Yahoo out of the refrigerator." She shook her head. "Tell me Pheebs, what do I look like…his slave?"

"Yeah…"

Helga's head snapped over to look at her friend. "What!" she stressed in disbelief.

"I mean n-no, Helga. I'm sorry, I was distracted. I'm listening now," Phoebe stuttered out, desperately trying to fix her mistake.

"Never mind!" Helga hissed irritably, slamming one of her books on top of the other.

* * *

_RING!_

"Have a great lunch class. Oh, and Helga, I would like to speak with you for a minute please," Mr. Simmons stated.

Soon, Arnold and Gerald walked out of the classroom. Once they put their books away in their nearby lockers, they walked together towards the cafeteria. "So, when are we playing at Gerald Field? You never told me," Arnold asked.

"Yeah I did, man. I told you yesterday morning before the bell rang. Weren't you listening?" Gerald questioned.

"Oh, sorry, I must have been distracted. Curly was tying himself to the flag pole outside," Arnold said as he pushed open one of the cafeteria door. "Why'd he do it anyway?"

"Like anyone knows," Gerald shrugged as he passed through the door. The two made their way over to the lunch line.

"Anyway, I'll repeat," he continued, stressing each word. "The game is on Sunday at one o' clock."

Arnold smirked."I got it now, Gerald."

"Good, I hate repeating myself." He grabbed a lunch tray and Arnold followed suit. They eventually reached the food on display, where in front of them laid two choices.

"Which one are you going to get?" Arnold inquired.

"I'll probably get that...whatever it is..." he muttered, pointing to the mushy noodle dish.

The blonde chuckled. "That's goulash, Gerald."

"Oh, right..."

After they both grabbed a plate of goulash and some milk, they spotted two cups of pudding; one chocolate and the other tapioca. "Hey look, our favorites and they're the last ones. We must be lucky, Arnold."

"Yeah," he replied, grabbing the tapioca pudding while Gerald took the chocolate one. "It certainly brightens up my lunch."

"No kidding," Gerald mumbled, staring at his goulash.

Once they paid for their lunches, they walked towards their usual table and sat down. Arnold began munching on his goulash while Gerald started into his pudding. The dark-haired boy eyed him curiously. "Why are you eating that first?" he asked.

"I like to eat my dessert last," Arnold stated simply.

"Not me," Gerald declared, loading a huge glob of pudding in his mouth.

"Hello Arnold, hello Gerald..."

Gerald suddenly turned and lifted his head up, realizing that Phoebe was standing before him. He quickly gulped down the large amount of pudding in his mouth. "Oh...um, hey Phoebe," Gerald stammered out.

"Hi Phoebe," Arnold said nonchalantly.

Gerald quietly ushered Phoebe to sit down. Clearing his throat, the boy soon changed his demeanor. "So, how are you feeling, Phoebe?" he inquired.

"Oh, fine thank you. How are you Gerald?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

Suddenly, silence fell over them as the pair began to stare at Arnold. He was preoccupied drinking his milk, when he soon realized that they were staring; making him self-conscious. "Is something wrong?" he questioned, furrowing his brow.

"Don't you remember? You're suppose to talk with um...Stinky now about his problem," Gerald said.

"What problem?" Arnold asked, clearly confused. _"Stinky never came to me with a problem...at least not this week."_ He thought, _"Maybe Gerald's mistaken."_

"You know, Arnold..." the crafty boy emphasized, raising one eyebrow. "...his _special_ problem."

"Oh...right, his problem," said Arnold, finally recognizing what he was alluding to. "I'll just go then. Bye."

The couple quietly bided farewell to him as he quickly walked away from them. He made his way over to the table that Stinky occupied; which also included Sid and Harold. They were going on about some video game, Arnold observed, but he quickly filtered it out. Spooning some of the goulash in his mouth, he watched the couple conversing. He inwardly chuckled as he observed them.

Arnold knew of the shy glances they would give one another. He knew what those glances meant. However, he never gave much thought to them being together, until now.

Reflecting back on the previous day, Gerald had told him that he couldn't walk home with him. He was somewhat vague; he never said if he was walking with someone else. But the blonde found out who it was. As he walked down the main steps, he caught a glimpse of their figures turning the corner. He wondered why Gerald didn't tell him. He had nothing against the couple; if that was his reason. _"Although,"_ the blonde thought._ "If this continues, I'm going to have to be more aware of them wanting their privacy." _

Arnold's facial expression changed as he pondered further on that thought. _"That would mean I would have less time to spend with Gerald," _he thought. He soon laughed at himself, _"I am jumping to conclusions; and even if it did happen, Gerald is my best friend. We will always spend time together. I have nothing to worry about."_

* * *

Swiftly, the pigtailed girl marched down the hallway towards her locker. Swinging her locker open, she grabbed her lunch box, and then roughly shut it. She proceeded to march down the hallway towards the cafeteria. Simmons had kept her longer than expected. He had recommended her for a poetry contest. He had prattled on about how wonderful her work was and about how others would enjoy reading it. He had even promised that she could remain anonymous; if that was what she wanted.

When asked if she would accept, she really didn't know. She did not show much interest outwardly; however, inwardly she was flattered and rather intrigued. She finally told him that she would think about it. She had a lot to think about already.

As she pushed the cafeteria doors open, she decided that she would focus on her decision later. Right now, she was hungry. She eyed her and Phoebe's usual table; it lay empty. She quickly scanned the room for her, until she saw her alone with Gerald. Her usual scowl grew deeper as she walked towards them. As she moved closer, Phoebe's giggles grew louder.

"Phoebe," she blurted out, startling them both. "What are you doing sitting here?"

The pair turned around in their seats, suddenly faced with the ticked girl in pink. Surprise was etched on both their faces; until Gerald's dropped in annoyance. "Oh, Helga, I have...um something important to tell Gerald," Phoebe stated hesitantly. "I'll meet you at our table in a few minutes."

Helga's eyes became smaller as she glared at them. "Whatever," she growled out before marching to their table near the window. She grabbed one of the chairs from under the table and plopped herself down, slamming her lunch box on the table_. "I knew it! I knew it!"_ she repeated in her head. _"Yesterday, I was right. Here's more proof. She stops listening to me. She pushed me aside to sit with none other than Geraldo. Who knows what else will happen."_ She shook her head and groaned, _"I need to stop thinking and just eat."_

She grabbed her lunch box and opened it. "Ah great," she angrily muttered, as she laid eyes on an individual packet of crackers and a spoon. Her mom had obviously packed her lunch. _"I should have made my own lunch,"_ she pondered. _"But I was too preoccupied."_ She didn't even have money today because she'd left in a hurry this morning. Frustrated, she moaned as she rested her head on the table.

Unbeknownst to Helga, a certain blonde boy observed her actions. He saw her storm over to Gerald and Phoebe and then leave in a huff. He couldn't help but watch her; she seemed so forlorn and troubled, now sitting at her table. _"She is obviously not happy about Phoebe sitting with Gerald," _he thought._ "Maybe I can help her feel better."_ Saying goodbye to his tablemates, he grabbed his tray and walked over to her.

Still resting her head on the table, her eyes closed, Helga tried to drown out the cafeteria's noise. Some silence, she thought, could ease her frustrations. A minute later, she could hear her name distinctly being called. She groaned as she was forced out of her quiet. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, seeing who the annoying pest was...to find Arnold. "Hi Helga," he stated, standing across from her.

"A-Arnold," she cried. Helga had almost forgotten him over the last two days. She was so preoccupied that she hadn't even spit spitballs at him or yelled at him. _"This Phoebe and Gerald business is messing up my priories,"_ she thought.

Quickly, changing her tone, she barked out, "I mean, what do you want, Football Head."

Arnold looked at her unfazed. He was certainly accustomed to the girl's hostility but, after the FTI incident, he believed that he was starting to understand it. Days after the incident, her passionate confession had reluctantly swarmed around in his head, forcing him to focus on it. He then pondered her previous behavior towards him. The more he thought about her confession, the more her behavior made sense. However, he still was not hundred percent sure why she behaved the way she did. Helga was a complex person after all.

But at the moment, he didn't have time to decipher this...she seemed to need his help. "I wanted to know how you were," he answered her.

"Oh, just peachy. I'm walking on sunshine," she retorted sarcastically.

"Seriously, Helga," he stated, resting one of his fist on his hip.

"If you must know, Hair Boy, I'm fine..." she lied.

"Then why aren't you eating?"

"Miriam made my lunch," she answered roughly, showing the contents of her lunch box. "What a pathetic spread, huh?" she scoffed.

"A packet of crackers and a spoon?" he questioned, looking inside it. Most of the time, Helga and him hardly agreed but now, he had to concur; it was pathetic. "You've gotta have something else to eat, Helga." He looked down at his tray and spotted his uneaten pudding; it was all he had left. "Here, take my pudding." He placed it down on the table. "It's tapioca. I haven't eaten any of it."

Her unibrow arched downward. "I am not your charity case, Football Head..." she seethed.

"It's not charity," he replied as he slowly slid the pudding towards her. "I want you to have it."

She briefly stared at him. She found it so hard to say no when she gazed into his beneficent green eyes. _"How could I refuse, when my love is actually sharing his food with me?"_ She inwardly swooned. Her stomach soon growled, _"And not to mention that I'm as hungry as a horse."_

She grabbed the pudding, wrapping her hands around it. It dawned on her that this was her opportunity. Looking down at the pudding, she quickly uttered out a thanks.

Somewhat surprised, Arnold began to smile. "No problem, Helga."

He now realized that it would be good time to offer a listening ear. He slightly lean in closer, "If you ever need someone to talk to..." he stated slowly. "I'm here."

She looked up at him; the scowl almost gone from her face. Inside, she was elated. His presence and his genuine offer were the best things that had happened to her today_. "He's like a ray of sunshine after an endless rain,"_ she mused.

"I'm back, Helga."

The sound of Phoebe's voice broke Helga's reverie, much to her dismay. She sighed as the dark-haired girl sat down next to her. Phoebe soon gazed at both of them curiously.

Feeling rather uncomfortable, Arnold decided to go back to Gerald; he was probably waiting for him anyway. "Oh...I better go. I'll see you guys later," he stated, turning around and walking away from them. Helga watched his retreating figure, gladly reflecting back on their conversation. She swooned. However, she soon shook herself out of her daze before taking the spoon out of her lunchbox.

"Oh, Helga...isn't it a beautiful day?" Phoebe asked, watching the sun shine through the window.

The blonde girl spooned the creamy substance into her mouth. "Yeah Pheebs," she softly replied. "It is now."

* * *

_**Author's Endnote:**_

_***Wipes sweat off forehead* **_

_**Wow, it's not horrid. I think it may even be passable. Yay!**_

_**It's stated that Gerald loves chocolate pudding. The truth is I don't know what he likes. I just picked it so it'd be a contrast to the tapioca. I would have given him vanilla but the two almost look the same. Hmm, I wonder how tapioca tastes; never had it before.**_

_**Anyway, I been working on "The Case of the Missing Locket" while I wrote this chapter so, that should come out soon. The next chapter for this story will probably be named "Let's go fly a Kite." I know I have two chapters that reference Mary Poppins' music. The titles just seemed to fit. Don't worry, the fourth chapter won't be "Feed the Birds." I like the song but I think Helga seen enough bird poop for now. :D**_

_**P.S. - By the way, I have nothing against goulash. It's been my dinner for many nights.**_


	3. Let's Go Fly a Kite Part 1

_**Author's Notes: **_

_**Hmm…it's been awhile hasn't it? It's been over a year to be exact. I'm sorry that I've kept you guys waiting. I never meant for this chapter to take so long to update. There were just so many things that got in the way.**_

_**But, now it's here…in all its simplistic glory. ;) Better late than never I say…**_

_**Flintphone **_

_**Disclaimer- I don't own Hey Arnold!...blah, blah, blah, etc, etc**_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Let's Go Fly a Kite (Part 1)**

"_Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arn…"_

The stirring boy reached his hand over to his bookshelf, pulling the wires out of his unique potato alarm clock. He promptly propped himself up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from both his eyes as he issued a yawn.

Feeling somewhat stiff from his slumber, he raised his arms over his head and stretched out his back. Satisfied, the blonde soon lifted his head to gaze through his skylight. A smile suddenly graced his face as he stared at the clear blue sky with its puffy clouds.

He pulled the covers off him as he began crawling towards his wall. Indifferent to the fact that he was wearing pajamas, he resolved to head towards the roof. He swiftly climbed his ladder wall until he reached one of the skylight's windows. Unhooking the latch, he pushed it open; sticking his oblong head out of the window. A delightful gush of wind touched his face, drawing him further outside.

He carefully climbed out of the window and walked over near the edge of the boardinghouse's roof. The boy took a deep breath as he stood still and closed his eyes, feeling the wind pass over his body. It was a steady, constant wind, he observed, perfect for kite flying. _"That's what I'll do today,"_ he decided, _"Maybe Gerald could even join me."_

Arnold quickly made his way over to his skylight window and climbed down his wall before he plopped down onto his bed. He eventually made his way over to his red couch and sat down. Grabbing the receiver of his corded phone, he pushed in Gerald's home number. After three rings, his friend finally picked up.

"Hello…"

"Hi Gerald, it's me."

"Hey Arnold…how's it going?"

"Good," he answered eagerly. "I was thinking about going to Tina Park and flying my kite after I ate breakfast. The weather looks perfect. Wanna come?"

"Uh yeah…" Gerald muttered. "…But I can't meet you 'til later."

"Oh…?" the blonde uttered, his tone understanding. "Timberly having another morning dance recital?"

"No…_thank goodness_," he grunted at the memory. "If I _ever_ have to sit through another one of those…I'm going to literally rip my hair out."

Arnold smirked. "That wouldn't be good."

"Hmph, tell me about it…" he mumbled under his breath.

"So…" Arnold started curiously as he began to lay himself out on his couch. "What _is_ happening then?"

"Uh…" he hesitated. "Nothing…nothing really…"

Raising an eyebrow over the abrupt change in his friend's voice, the football-headed boy decided to question him further, sensing that he was holding something back from him. "Gerald…" he emphasized with determination, now seated upright. "What's going on?"

There was a brief silence over the phone before he heard a long sigh. "Alright, alright…" Gerald admitted sheepishly. "I'm gonna be hanging out with Phoebe for a few hours today…"

"Oh..." Arnold said, slightly taken aback. "Well, that's…great."

"Yeah…we had talked about it at lunch," he explained, his tone now more bold. "I even offered to take her to Slausen's. Can you believe that she's never had their brownie sundae before…?"

"_They're going on a date? Wow…that was fast." _Arnold pondered, still not over his surprise._ "Well, __now I know why he had that goofy smile on his face yesterday after lunch,"_ he mused, inwardly chuckling as he thought back_._

However, his good humor was pushed aside as a sudden flicker of uneasiness coursed through him._ "I'm happy for them," _he started to reflect._ "But, I hope they don't go on dates all the time…"_

It was already a proven fact that the couple was practically drawn to each other like magnets. So naturally, Arnold knew that dating would only increase the time they would spend together._ "Just hopefully not too much…" _was his repeated thought, his features brooding. _"I do wanna spend at least some time with Gerald…"_

But then, he shook his head, disappointed with himself that his thoughts were going in such a direction. _"Besides,"_ he considered, trying to push away the strange feelings once and for all. _"I'm sure that Gerald can make time for Phoebe and for his friends…"_

Unaware of Arnold's musings, the dark-haired boy continued on as a thought came to his mind. "I'm sorry I can't invite you to come along with us, man…it was kind of planned between the two of us," he apologized. "But not to worry, buddy, I can still meet you in the park around one."

"Gerald…it's not a problem." He spoke honestly, glad that he wasn't the third wheel. "I'll wait…just have a good time."

Gerald laughed briefly. "I know I will," he stated, a smile apparent in his voice. "I always have a good time with Phoebe…" However, his voice soon dropped an octave as he continued, "…unless Helga interrupts us." He groaned loudly, "I swear, Arnold that girl…"

_Helga. _The very mention of girl's name drew the odd-headed boy further into his inner thoughts and away from his telephone conversation. A slight grin flashed upon his face as he recalled their encounter yesterday. He remembered her usual rudeness, her rejection and then, (if the expression on her face was any indication) her genuine gratitude towards him.

At the time he had offered the pudding, he hadn't really expected a thank you; the boy just glad to be of some help. But to his surprise, she had uttered one.

It had been barely audible but, he clearly heard the sincerity of it. Such rare moments with her felt right. They would be one of the few times that he would actually be able to get passed her façade, and get a glimpse of the real Helga—the Helga that had helped him save the neighborhood.

He blushed as soon as his thoughts flashed back to their encounter on the FTi building roof; the place where she had declared her love for him. _"Love…"_ he mused, the word reverberating through his mind.

It was such a passionate expression for a nine year old to express to another romantically. To be honest, he was still getting over some of the initial shock of her confession. Yet…oddly, the more he thought about it now, the more he just couldn't deny that somewhere within him the knowledge of her romantic feelings weren't completely foreign.

"_Arnold!"_

He jumped in surprise. "Huh?"

"Were you spacing out on me, man?"

"Oh…um sorry Gerald…so what were we talking about again?" Arnold asked, ashamed with himself for drifting off into space.

Gerald released an exasperated sigh. "_I_ was talking about the look of death Helga gave me at lunch…" He paused before he decided to let it go. "…But it doesn't matter. I'd rather not talk about her…especially when I've got to get ready to meet Phoebe."

"Oh yeah…" the blonde remembered absentmindedly. "Your date…"

"M-My date?" Gerald stammered. "Hold on…you think it's a date?"

Arnold creased his brow. "It isn't?"

"No…no," he uttered, sounding rather flustered. "We're just two friends spending time together…that's all…"

A knowing smirk spread across Arnold's oblong face, amused with his friend's uneasy state. "Uh huh, whatever you say…Gerald," he muttered, pleased to use the familiar line on his friend.

Gerald quickly cleared his throat. "_Anyway…_" he interjected. "I…uh gotta go…"

Arnold couldn't help but smile at his reaction as he spoke, "Okay…see you later than. Same spot?"

The place he was referring to was in the middle of the park, between two large, well-positioned oak trees. After losing each other a few years ago, they had agreed, once they found each other again, that they would always meet at that very location.

"Of course," his best friend replied automatically. "Later, Arnold."

"Bye, Gerald…"

Once he placed the phone down on the hook, Arnold rose from his pull out couch, heading for his closet. He surveyed the clothes within it, choosing his familiar garments. Swiftly, he walked out of his room and down his stairs towards the boardinghouse's shared bathroom. Relieved that it was now vacant, he rushed in, enjoying his morning shower. Before long, he emerged, fully-clothed, as he headed back up into his room to make his bed.

However, once inside, he was interrupted from this task when a single squawk overhead brought his bright eyes upward to his skylight. There a small pigeon stood upon the glass, gazing intently down at him. _"I don't think I've seen him before," _Arnold thought curiously as he walked up his ladder wall.

Opening one of his panels, he poked his head outside while he stuck his arm out towards the animal. Unafraid of this movement, the bird gladly neared his extended appendage. Arnold smiled as he began to rub the bird's neck with his fingers; the pigeon content with this soothing action.

Interested to see if there were any other birds, the boy quickly glanced around his roof, but there were none in sight. Arnold looked back down at him, "Are you all by yourself…little buddy?" The bird just cooed softly in response. "Ah, I know how it feels…" he spoke as if he understood him.

With that, Arnold sighed as he slowed down petting the animal, his eyes far-off as his thoughts went elsewhere. Propping his chin in his other hand, he placed his elbow upon the base of the window's frame. "I guess I'm going to have some time to myself today," he uttered distantly, his eyes upward. "But it'll be a good thing…" he added quickly, "Sometimes, that's all I wish for…you know." As if expecting an answer, the boy looked back down for reassurance. But to his surprise, the bird was gone, nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. "Hey Shortman, ya up yet?" his grandfather called from outside his door.

Arnold blinked. "Yeah…Grandpa," he finally answered, still shocked by the pigeon's early departure as he closed the pane and climbed down upon his bed.

The older man popped his head inside. "Well, come down. Your grandma's making you some pancakes…"

Arnold nodded his head as he responded, "Alright, I'm coming in a minute."

Phil grunted to himself, his mind still on the pancakes. "…Hope they don't have raspberries in them like the last time…" he mumbled as he closed the door and stepped down the stairs.

In no time, Arnold finished making his bed, ready to head downstairs, but he felt something was missing. His eyes lit up in realization as he looked over near his bed, eyeing the most essential item in his wardrobe…his hat. Resting on a hook upon his bookshelf, the boy grabbed the small blue accessory and placed it between the two parts of his hair. He smiled. Now, he was ready.

His short legs promptly carried him down the house's wooden flight of stairs and into the kitchen in record time. Once there, the blonde's nose was met with the wonderful smell of his grandmother's hot pancakes. She was over the stove, humming and dancing to a song he didn't recognize as she flipped the food in the pan.

"Good morning, Grandma," he greeted as he walked towards the kitchen table, passing Abner who sloppily ate his breakfast on the floor.

"Howdy…Cowpoke," she replied as the boy sat down across from his grandfather. She grabbed a plate full of pancakes and glided from the stove to the table, placing the dish in front of her grandson. "Eat up…" she commanded him, "You're going to need your strength for the cattle drive…"

"Thanks…" Arnold uttered before his grandmother went back to the stove-top, singing.

His grandpa put down his newspaper. "_So_…Shortman, what're your plans for today?"

"Well, I thought it'd be a good day to fly my kite…" he responded, pouring buttery syrup over his food.

Phil smiled. "And you would be right about that. The wind's perfect," he said, pointing towards the window. "Are you going all by yourself?"

"Yeah…" Arnold muttered out, cutting into the middle of his fluffy pancakes, "…until Gerald's done being with Phoebe."

When he looked up from his plate, Arnold noticed the odd expression on his grandpa's face, making him wonder if he had said something amiss.

"Phoebe…" his grandfather thought out loud, his face now turning pensive, "…is she the girl with the big glasses…the one who hangs around that girl that's always picking on you."

"Yep…Helga's her best friend," the blonde informed, taking his first bite.

The man's smirk grew sly. "So…Gerald's got himself a date, huh?"

Arnold blinked, surprised that his grandfather could pick that up so quickly. "Well yeah…" he confirmed as he grabbed a pitcher full of orange juice off the table and poured himself a drink. "…But he says it isn't," he added with an amused smile before he started drinking out of his glass.

"Ah…you kids. You grow up so fast," his grandpa mused with a light chuckle. He turned to his wife. "You know, Pookie…soon young Arnold here's gonna be going out on his own dates…"

"…Probably with that girl with the one eyebrow…" he added amusingly.

Arnold choked on some of his juice. _"Grandpa…"_ he scolded as he was trying to recover; unable to stop the blush that came upon his face.

"_What?"_ was all the elderly man said, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

* * *

"Helga…dear," a slurred, slow voice spoke out from behind the girl's door. "Are you…up yet?"

Stirred from her sleep, the girl in question opened her eyes as she groaned against her pillow. She eventually lifted up her head. "I am now…" she exclaimed at the door._ "Thanks to you, Miriam…"_ the ten year old thought, disappointed at being interrupted from her wonderful dream.

"Oh…well okay then dear," Miriam said indifferently as she walked away, her footsteps becoming distant.

Helga reluctantly rose to sit upright in her bed. Yawning loudly, she rubbed the sleep from both her eyes. She pulled the covers off of her form and slid down off the bed, both feet on the floor. Now that she was standing, she stretched her arms over her head, causing her back to crack in the process. "Ah…" she sighed, satisfied. "That's better…"

Remembering that today was Saturday, the pajama clad girl walked over to her window, interested in the current weather. As she looked out, the sun's bright rays shone down upon her face. Noticing the limbs of the tree near her bedroom window sway, she opened up her pane, letting a wondrous breeze immediately fly into the room.

A slight smile tugged at the side of her mouth as she thought of all the things she could do today. _"Speaking of which…_" she thought, _"…let me call Phoebe and see what she's doing today."_

She jumped on her unmade bed and crawled towards her nightstand. Picking up the receiver of her phone, she dialed Phoebe's number.

"Hello…Heyerdahl residence…" her friend answered formally after three rings.

"Hey Pheebs…it's me," the blonde spoke as she comfortably began to lay herself out on her back.

"Oh…Ohayoo gozaimasu, Helga."

"Yeah, yeah…good morning in Japanese to you too…" Helga dismissed with a hand wave, although the tone of her voice was rather happy. "I'm calling to see if you had any plans for today…and I don't mean with your textbook," she joked, still smiling.

Phoebe briefly giggled. "You seem to be in good spirits this morning, Helga."

"Yeah well, I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today…" she remarked, not admitting the full reason.

It had been the genuine actions of a certain blonde haired boy that was the cause of her cheerful mood. After an afternoon of writing free-flowing poetry about her beloved, she had been blessed that night with romantic dreams of the two together; producing a smile that was permanently etched upon her face. It all practically made her want to swoon here and now, but, remembering that her friend was on the phone, she kept it under wraps.

"So…what'd you say, Pheebs? We could go to the Arcade or fly a kite or something. I'll even let you choose…" she suggested.

There was hesitation in the girl's voice, "Ah…I appreciate the offer…but uh, there's some…_business_ I have to attend to…"

Helga blinked at the change in Phoebe's tone. More attentive, she used her elbows to prop herself further up; now seated upright against her pillows. "What kind of business?" she questioned. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh…yes," Phoebe responded, calming her friend's worry. "I just promised Father that I would go with him to the shop and help him buy more fencing equipment."

"Geez…Phoebe," Helga breathed out, relieved. "I thought that something else was going on." Her shoulders relaxed. "Was that the only business you were talking about?"

"Well…" the dark-haired girl drew out. "Father needs me this afternoon but…I also do have other plans this morning…"

She paused for a few seconds before she continued on, her voice gradually lowering into a barely audible whisper,_ "…with…Gerald."_

"With…who?" Helga furrowed her brow, not quite hearing the last part. She pressed the phone closer to her ear, hoping this person wasn't whom she thought it was.

"It's actually…_with whom_…" Phoebe corrected, clearly stalling.

"_Phoebe…_" the pig-tailed girl interjected, growing impatient. "This isn't the time for a grammar lesson. Now spit it out. Who is it?"

Her best friend sighed nervously but she said it again in a much louder voice. "I have plans this morning with Gerald…"

Helga stiffened, taken aback. _"With…Gerald?"_ she slowly repeated through her teeth.

"He invited me yesterday at lunch," she spoke quickly, sensing her tension. "If I had known you wanted to do something today, Helga…I would have certainly declined or rescheduled…"

Wavering once again in her speech, Phoebe released a breath before she asked her, "You wouldn't want to join us…would you?"

A familiar scowl flashed upon Helga's face as her brow lowered. In a swift motion, she stood up off the bed. _"No…"_ she declared strongly into the phone while gesturing. "Criminy…why would I want to be the third wheel on you and Tall hair boy's date…"

"D-Date?" Phoebe stuttered, probably blushing, the blonde thought. "It isn't a date, Helga. It's just an outing with a friend. Gerald doesn't even see me in that way…" she trailed off.

This response only caused Helga to roll her eyes, frustrated by Phoebe's obvious denial. It was very clear to her that the two liked each other…or in more juvenile terms…"liked, liked." But Phoebe wouldn't admit it. And this only further worked on Helga's nerves. It was like she was being toyed with before her best friend was finally snatched away from her for good.

Helga clenched onto the phone, speaking without much thought. "Yeah…Pheebs, those pathetic, sappy looks you two give each other mean nothing…_absolutely nothing_…" she hissed out, drenched with sarcasm.

A soft gasp immediately reached her ear. The two girls had hardly ever mentioned Gerald, let alone talked about Phoebe's partiality towards him. So, Helga knew as soon as the words flew out of her mouth that her friend wasn't only surprised by them but was also embarrassed. Still, the blonde couldn't help what she'd said; she was becoming more and more irritated with this whole situation.

"_Helga…?"_ Phoebe eventually squeaked out, obviously surprised by her words but also by her tone. "Is…something wrong?"

"_No…everything's fine,"_ the upset girl wanted to snap out, her sarcasm again heighten by the frustration she felt. _"You don't have a date with Geraldo and I'm not gonna lose my best friend!"_

But, Helga immediately decided against it. She could just imagine how pathetic she would seem if she said something like that. She didn't want to give away any signs that she feared losing Phoebe's friendship…especially if the danger wasn't even there to begin with.

Yet, now, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, Helga couldn't shake the feeling that there was indeed a danger: a danger that hadn't come into the forefront until after the pairs' recent growing intimacy. She clearly remembered what happened at lunch yesterday. _"And now there's this…"_ she mused, slowly lowering herself back down on her bed as her thoughts became deeper.

It couldn't be possible, she reasoned, that Phoebe would prefer being with _some _boy that stupidly flirted with her over her best friend…the very one she's had ever since preschool. "_There's no way she would choose him over me…right?" _she questioned herself as uncertainty seeped into her thoughts.

Uncomfortable with the doubts she now felt on this manner, Helga became determined to do something about it. Even if Phoebe wasn't aware of the possible danger that loomed over their relationship…she was, and she finally concluded to herself that it was her job to protect whatever they had.

Soon realizing that she still didn't answer her friend's question, Helga decided to use this opportunity. She resolved to respond honestly but, not without also trying to make Phoebe feel slightly guilty. "No…I was…just hoping that today we could do something _together_…" she said, stressing the last word.

Phoebe sighed. "I'm really sorry, Helga. I can't break my plans. But…I'll be sure to make it up to you…I promise."

The blonde groaned, dissatisfied. That wasn't the answer she wanted but, she knew she had to take it. At the very least, Phoebe had promised and she knew that the small girl was always sincere when she gave her word. "Fine…" she conceded as she huffed out a sigh. "But you better stick to your promise," she added with some authority, trying to add emphasis.

"Of course, I will, Helga. You have my word…"

Helga couldn't help feeling slightly better at her reassurance however; she didn't have much time to mull over it since she heard Phoebe suddenly exclaim, "Oh my…it's almost nine. I better hurry. I wouldn't want to be late."

"Yeah…" Helga muttered out rather distantly._ "You wouldn't want to be late for Geraldo," _her mind bitterly added.

"I'll see you at Geraldfield tomorrow…right?" her best friend asked quickly.

"Yep…"

"Well, see you then, Helga…"

"Yeah, bye Pheebs…" she sighed.

A quick click on the other line followed Helga's final utterance. Lingering absentmindedly until she heard the dial tone, she roughly placed the phone back down on its receiver. She instantly used her fingers to rub one of her temples as an irritated groan escaped out of her. She persisted in this action until her eyes lied upon her night wear and she reluctantly decided, at the very least, to get dressed.

She rose, grabbing some clothes and headed to the bathroom. After a few minutes, she finally emerged back into her room, clothed in her usual pink jumper and white shirt. She quickly made up her bed, sighing as she pulled at the covers. _"I can't believe Tall hair boy moved so fast…" _she pondered, not considering the part Phoebe could have also played in arranging their little "get-together."

"Hmph…not a date, my foot,"she muttered out loud."Criminy…what kind of fool do they take me for?"

She shook her head._ "Geraldo must have planned this," _she concluded to herself. _"Well, if he thinks that he can just suck up all of my time with Phoebe…he's got another thing coming. So, he better enjoy his little 'non-date' with her because if he gets in the way again…I'll make sure he pays_." With that decision, her lips curled up into a sly smirk as she confidently marched out of her room with her head held high.

However, in spite of this, she reentered the room a few seconds later, grabbing the ever important ribbon that had been absent off the top of her head. She huffed as she quickly tied it to her hair, completing her pink outfit. Scowling, she roughly trudged out of her room and towards the stairs; all along the way wordlessly blaming Gerald for her absentmindedness.

While she was descending the house's stairs, she could distinctly hear her father yelling at the television. Indifferent to Bob's hollering, she walked towards the kitchen. But once inside, she noticed her mother sleeping, head resting on the small table as she softly snored.

Helga glanced shortly at the scene, frowning before she opened up the refrigerator. Looking inside, she realized that it was nearly empty except for a few condiments, some questionable leftovers, and a carton of milk. She curiously brought the carton to her nose, almost losing her appetite at the smell. _"Yuck!"_ she thought as she put it back. _"This reeks…"_

With a slam of the refrigerator door, she determined to eat breakfast out, knowing that the cupboards were probably practically bare as well since Miriam hadn't gone grocery shopping yet.

She left the kitchen and stomped towards the front door, still not sure where she was going or what she was going to do. A scowl had remained upon her face; her overall mood greatly decreased from what it had been before the phone call. _"Ah, Phoebe better make this up to me…"_ she muttered out as she turned the door knob, considering how boring her day would probably be without her best friend.

Regardless of this, though, she opened up the door, pausing at the threshold as she attempted to announce her leaving over the loud clamor of the television. "I'm going out now…" she yelled out, hoping that this declaration didn't fall on deaf ears. Yet, when she received no response, as usual, Helga sighed before she slowly closed the door behind her.

* * *

_**Author's Endnotes:**_

_**Well, I guess that'll have to do… *Shrugs***_

_**The pigeon part was totally on a whim. I was actually going to delete it but, for some reason I couldn't. :)**_

_**Now that this is posted, I can start on Chapter 4 and work on finishing up some of my other writings…all while trying to stay cool in this infernal heat. Whoo! *Fans self* **_

_**Hopefully, it won't take me another year to update… **_

_**Next— Let's Go Fly a Kite (Part 2)**_


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